UNHCR scaling up support as DRC violence drives thousands into Uganda

To escape violence, thousands of civilians flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into Uganda

In the span of just three days – between 10 and 13 March – more than 4,000 people, mostly terrified women and children, have crossed into Uganda from crisis-gripped eastern provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency has said.

Babar Baloch, the spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that the agency is working with partner organizations in western Uganda to support the influx of the refugees, most of who are exhausted, hungry, thirsty, sick, and have fled with few or no belongings.

Records indicate that more than 57,000 refugees have been displaced by the violence in eastern DRC since the beginning of this year. An overwhelming majority – some 77.5 percent – are women and children, according to the agency.

Several of the new arrivals are in deep trauma from the violence and sexual abuse they have reportedly endured. UNHCR says it has received chilling accounts of violence – rape, murder and separation from family members.

These are linked to the deteriorating security situation, internal conflicts and inter-communal tensions, the spokesperson maintained, saying that armed men are reported to be attacking villages, looting and burning houses, indiscriminately killing civilians and kidnapping young men and boys.

A growing number of reports indicate that the violence is taking on ethnic dimensions as tribal groups engage in retaliatory attacks.

Baloch said that the majority continue to cross into Uganda via Lake Albert in rickety and unsafe boats from Ituri (province), “a journey that has already cost the lives of several refugees.” He adds that the situation has been even more dangerous in recent days because of bad weather while others continue to arrive on foot near the villages of Kisoro and Ntoroko.

“These numbers are on a larger scale still than in 2017, when some 44,000 fled over the course of the entire year,” he continued. “UNHCR fears thousands more could arrive in Uganda if the security situation inside the DRC does not immediately improve.”

UNHCR has deployed a significant additional staff and resources to identify victims and strengthen support, including a medical screening at Lake Albert landing sites, sexual and gender-based violence screening at the reception centres and making gender segregation spaces available.

“Working with partners, we have deployed additional staff specifically trained in psychosocial care to increase support to [sexual and gender-based violence] refugee survivors and have conducted further outreach with community leaders and networks to ensure refugees are aware of what services are available to them,” he stated.

“We are also working with our humanitarian partners to save lives after a Cholera outbreak killed at least 32 refugees,” Baloch said, informing that the number of reported cases have significantly dropped from 668 to 160 since the February outbreak.

He pointed out that the nearly USD 180 million (655 billion Shillings) refugee response funding appeal for Uganda remains poorly funded, “severely restricting capacities of humanitarian organizations to deliver vital aid and assistance.” Within that appeal, only three percent of UNHCR’s USD 118.3 million (430 billion Shillings) requirement is funded.